# US 8,147,380 B2 · Hydraulic control apparatus of an automated multi-step change-speed gearbox

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- Number: US 8,147,380 B2
- Document ID: US8147380B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/445,648
- Filed: 2007-10-11
- Published: 2010-05-13
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-10-24
- Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
- Inventors: Anton Fritzer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8147380B2

## CPC

- F16H 61/2807: {using electric control signals for shift actuators, e.g. electro-hydraulic control therefor (F16H61/30, F16H61/32 take precedence)}
- F16H 61/0206: {Layout of electro-hydraulic control circuits, e.g. arrangement of valves}
- F16H 61/688: with two inputs, e.g. selection of one of two torque-flow paths by clutches
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A hydraulic control device with a plurality of gear-actuating cylinders for engaging and disengaging the gears of an automated multi-step transmission, with pressure-controlled gear-regulating valves for controlling the pressure in one pressure chamber of the cylinders, and with a multiplex arrangement of singly switchable pressure-controlled selector valves for assigning the regulating valves to one pressure chamber of the actuating cylinders. The device includes a common pilot valve, designed as a regulating valve, for actuating one of the regulating valves and at least one of the selector valves. The pilot valve features a first control pressure range that contains the switching pressure of the selector valve and a second control pressure range that contains the regulating range of the gear-regulating valve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hydraulic control device of an automated multi-step transmission, the control device comprising:
a plurality of gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4) for engaging and disengaging gears of the multi-step transmission;
at least two pressure-controlled gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV3) for controlling an operating pressure of one pressure chamber (D1-D8) of the gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4);
a multiplex arrangement (2, 102) of a plurality of singly switchable pressure-controlled selector valves (WV1-WV3) for assigning the gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV3) to, in each case, the one pressure chamber (D1-D8) of the gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4);
at least one common pilot valve (VV1-VV3) for actuating one of the gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV2) and at least one of the selector valves (WV1-WV3);
the pilot valve (VV1-VV3) having a first control pressure range (ΔP_B1) containing a switching pressure (P_S) of the at least one selector valve (WV1-WV3) and a second control pressure range (ΔP_B2) containing a regulating range (ΔP_R) of the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3);
the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3) and the at least one selector valve (WV1-WV3), which are controllable by the common pilot valve (VV1-VV3), being assigned to one of different actuating rods and a different partial transmission; and
the multi-step transmission or the partial transmission of the multi-step transmission having two actuating rods, a switching arrangement with two gear-regulating valves (GV1, GV2), two selector valves (WV1, WV2), and two pilot valves (VV1, VV2), in each case two pressure chambers (D1-D4) being alternately connectable, via respectively one of the selector valves (WV1, WV2) with the operating pressure line (13, 33) of an assigned gear-regulating valve (GV1, GV2) or a non-pressurized line, such that a control pressure chamber (11, 31) of the respective gear-regulating valve (GV1, GV2), by a control pressure line (7, 27) and a switching pressure chamber (43, 53) of the selector valve (WV1, WV2) assigned respectively to the other gear-regulating valve (GV1, GV2) via a switching pressure line (8, 28), being connected respectively to a control terminal (6, 26) of a common pilot valve (VV1, VV2).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first control pressure range (ΔP_B1) is below the second control pressure range (ΔP_B2) such that the switching pressure (P_S) of the at least one selector valve (WV1-WV3) is approximately in a middle of the first control pressure range (ΔP_B1), and the regulating range (ΔP_R) of the gear-regulating valve (GV1, GV3) is substantially identical to the second control pressure range (ΔP_B2).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The control device according to claim 2, wherein a beginning of the regulating range (P_RO) of the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3) is displaced and adjusted by a pretensioned valve spring (10, 30, 110, 120, 130) to a higher control pressure (P_St) of the pilot valve (VV1-VV3).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the pilot valve (VV1-VV3) is a magnetic regulating valve (3, 4, 103, 104, 105) and is connected to a control pressure supply line (5), that carries an input-side control pressure (P_Red), a control terminal (6, 26, 106, 116, 126) of a further control pressure line (7, 27, 107, 117, 127), that connects to an assigned one of the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3), a switching pressure line (8, 28, 108, 118, 128), that connects to an assigned one of the selector valves (WV1-WV3), and a connection to a non-pressurized line.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the two pressure chambers (D3, D4) that are connected to the gear-regulating valves (GV1, GV2) when the selector valves (WV1, WV2) are not switched, and the two pressure chambers (D1, D2) that are connected to the gear-regulating valves (GV1, GV2) when the selector valves (WV1, WV2) are switched, are respectively assigned to a common actuating rod.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control device according to claim 1, wherein the two pressure chambers (D3, D4) that are connected to the gear-regulating valves (GV1, GV2) when the selector valves (WV1, WV2) are not switched, and the two pressure chambers (D1, D2) that are connected to the gear-regulating valves (GV1, GV2) when the selector valves (WV1, WV2) are switched, are assigned to different actuating rods.

### Claim 7

A hydraulic control device of an automated multi-step transmission, the control device comprising:
a plurality of gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4) for engaging and disengaging gears of the multi-step transmission;
at least two pressure-controlled gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV3) for controlling an operating pressure of one pressure chamber (D1-D8) of the gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4);
a multiplex arrangement (2, 102) of a plurality of singly switchable pressure-controlled selector valves (WV1-WV3) for assigning the gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV3) to one pressure chamber (D1-D8) of the gear-actuating cylinders (Z1-Z4);
at least one common pilot valve (VV1-VV3) for actuating one of the gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV2) and at least one of the selector valves (WV1-WV3);
the pilot valve (VV1-VV3) having a first control pressure range (ΔP_B1) containing a switching pressure (P_S) of the at least one selector valve (WV1-WV3) and a second control pressure range (ΔP_B2) containing a regulating range (ΔP_R) of the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3);
the gear-regulating valve (GV1-GV3) and the at least one selector valve (WV1-WV3), which are controllable by the common pilot valve (VV1-VV3), being assigned to one of different actuating rods and a different partial transmission; and
the multi-step transmission has four actuating rods, a shifting arrangement with three gear-regulating valves (GV1-GV3), three selector valves (WV1-WV3), and three pilot valves (VV1-VV3), by which, via a first selector valve (WV1), an operating pressure line (113) of a first gear-regulating valve (GV1) and an operating pressure line (123) of a second gear-regulating valve (GV2) are alternately connected to an assigned pressure chamber (D1, D2) or an interconnecting line (146; 149) that leads, in each case, to another selector valve (WV2, WV3), by which, via a second selector valve (WV2), the interconnecting line from the first selector valve (WV1) is alternately connectable to two different pressure chambers (D3, D5) and, via a third selector valve (WV3), an operating pressure line (133) of a third gear-regulating valve (GV3) and the interconnecting line (149) of the first selector valve (WV1), are alternately connectable to two different pressure chambers (D6, D8; D4, D7), one control pressure chamber (111) of the first gear-regulating valve (GV1) and one switching pressure chamber (163) of the third selector valve (WV3) are connected to a control terminal (106) of a common first pilot valve (VV1), one control pressure chamber (121) of the second gear-regulating valve (GV2) and one switching pressure chamber (153) of the second selector valve (WV2) is connected to a control terminal (116) of a common second pilot valve (VV1), and one control pressure chamber (131) of the third gear-regulating valve (GV3) and one switching pressure chamber (143) of the first selector valve (WV1) is connected to a control terminal (106) of a common third pilot valve (VV3).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The control device according to claim 7, wherein the two pressure chambers (D1, D2; D3, D4; D5, D6; D7, D8) are each assigned to a common actuating rod and have operating pressures, in corresponding shift positions of the selector valves (WV1-WV3), that are simultaneously regulated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The control device according to claim 7, wherein three pressure chambers (D3, D4, D6) having operating pressures, in a corresponding shift position of the selector valves (WV1-WV3), that are regulated simultaneously and assigned to a first gear (G1), a second gear (G2), and a reverse gear (R).